Managing wireless communication link resources

ABSTRACT

In systems and methods of managing wireless communication link resources, a static overhead load, a data traffic load, and a signaling load are determined of a wireless communication link between an access node and at least one wireless device. A wireless communication link load is calculated based on the static overhead load, the data traffic load, and the signaling load, and a load control process is performed when the wireless communication link load meets a load criteria.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

Determining the loading of a wireless communication link enables acommunication system to allocate resources and increase efficiencies innetwork communication. Typically, the loading of a wirelesscommunication link is determined based on the data requirements ofwireless devices in communication with an access node. The wirelessdevices data requirements are typically based on bearer data transmittedover the communication link. Reliance on bearer data to determinecommunication link loading provides a suboptimal determination of thetrue loading of a communication link.

OVERVIEW

In operation, a static overhead load, a data traffic load, and asignaling load are determined of a wireless communication link betweenan access node and at least one wireless device. A wirelesscommunication link load is calculated based on the static overhead load,the data traffic load, and the signaling load, and a load controlprocess is performed when the wireless communication link load meets aload criteria. In an embodiment, the static overhead load, the datatraffic load, and the signaling load are determined for a downlinkportion of the wireless communication link. In an embodiment, thesignaling load comprises a plurality of transport channel loadcomponents of the wireless communication link.

In an embodiment, the first communication link load can be compared to asecond communication link load comprising a second signaling load of asecond wireless communication link when the first signaling load meets aload threshold. The wireless device can be instructed to communicateover the second wireless communication link when the first communicationlink load is greater than the second communication link load.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary communication system to manage wirelesscommunication link resources.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary method of managing wirelesscommunication link resources.

FIG. 3A illustrates an exemplary channel mapping.

FIG. 3B illustrates an exemplary load determination.

FIG. 4 illustrates another exemplary communication system to managewireless communication link resources.

FIG. 5 illustrates another exemplary method of managing wirelesscommunication link resources.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary processing node.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary communication system 100 to managewireless communication link resources comprising wireless device 102,access node 104, and communication network 106. Examples of wirelessdevice 102 can comprise a cell phone, a smart phone, a computingplatform such as a laptop, palmtop, or tablet, a personal digitalassistant, or an internet access device, including combinations thereof.Wireless device 102 can communicate with access node 104 overcommunication links 108 and 110. In an embodiment, each of communicationlinks 108 and 110 can comprise a channel, as further described below.

Access node 104 is a network node capable of providing wirelesscommunications to wireless device 102, and can be, for example, a basetransceiver station, a radio base station, an eNodeB device, or anenhanced eNodeB device. Access node 104 is in communication withcommunication network 106 over communication link 112.

Communication network 106 can be a wired and/or wireless communicationnetwork, and can comprise processing nodes, routers, gateways, andphysical and/or wireless data links for carrying data among variousnetwork elements, including combinations thereof, and can include alocal area network, a wide area network, and an internetwork (includingthe Internet). Communication network 106 can be capable of carryingvoice information, for example, to support voice communications by awireless device such as wireless device 102. Wireless network protocolsmay comprise code division multiple access (CDMA) 1×RTT, Global Systemfor Mobile communications (GSM), Universal Mobile TelecommunicationsSystem (UMTS), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Evolution Data Optimized(EV-DO), EV-DO rev. A, Third Generation Partnership Project Long TermEvolution (3GPP LTE), and Worldwide Interoperability for MicrowaveAccess (WiMAX). Wired network protocols that may be utilized bycommunication network 106 comprise Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, GigabitEthernet, Local Talk (such as Carrier Sense Multiple Access withCollision Avoidance), Token Ring, Fiber Distributed Data Interface(FDDI), and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). Communication network 106may also comprise a wireless network, including base stations, wirelesscommunication nodes, telephony switches, internet routers, networkgateways, computer systems, communication links, or some other type ofcommunication equipment, and combinations thereof.

Communication links 108, 110 and 112 can be wired or wirelesscommunication links. Wired communication links can comprise, forexample, twisted pair cable, coaxial cable or fiber optic cable, orcombinations thereof. Wireless communication links can comprise a radiofrequency, microwave, infrared, or other similar signal, and can use asuitable communication protocol, for example, Global System for Mobiletelecommunications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA),Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), or Long TermEvolution (LTE), or combinations thereof. Other wireless protocols canalso be used.

A wireless communication link can comprise one or more logical channels,one or more transport channels, and one or more physical channels. Alogical channel typically describes different flows of information, suchas bearer data and/or signaling information, and can be organizeddifferently for uplink and downlink portions of a communication link. Atransport channel typically organizes information, such as data packets,received from one or more logical channels for transmission over acommunication link, and can define how and with what type ofcharacteristics information is transferred by the physical channel. Aphysical channel typically comprises a carrier frequency or a number ofcarrier frequencies in a communication link, and provides a physicaltransmission medium for one or more transport channels.

Other network elements may be present in communication system 100 tofacilitate wireless communication but are omitted for clarity, such asbase stations, base station controllers, gateways, mobile switchingcenters, dispatch application processors, and location registers such asa home location register or visitor location register. Furthermore,other network elements may be present to facilitate communicationbetween access node 104 and communication network 106 which are omittedfor clarity, including additional processing nodes, routers, gateways,and physical and/or wireless data links for carrying data among thevarious network elements.

Determining the loading of a wireless communication link enables acommunication system to allocate resources and increase efficiencies innetwork communication. Typically, the loading of a wirelesscommunication link is determined based on the data requirements ofwireless devices in communication with an access node. The wirelessdevices data requirements are typically based on bearer data transmittedover the communication link. However, signaling overhead, such ascontrol signals and the like, further consume limited physical andlogical communication link resources. For example, the downlink portionof a wireless communication channel comprises both bearer data (e.g.,user data) and various control signaling. Accounting for the signalingload as well as the bearer data load can enable a more accuratedetermination of wireless communication link loading.

In operation, a static overhead load, a data traffic load, and asignaling load are determined for wireless communication link 108 and/or110 between access node 104 and at least one wireless device 102. Awireless communication link load is calculated for communication link108 and/or communication link 110 based on the static overhead load, thedata traffic load, and the signaling load. When the wirelesscommunication link load meets a load criteria, a load control process isperformed

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary method of managing wirelesscommunication link resources. In operation 202, a static overhead load,a data traffic load, and a signaling load of a wireless communicationlink between an access node and at least one wireless device aredetermined. For example, for a signaling load of communication links 108and/or 110 between wireless device 102 and access node 104, a staticoverhead load, a data traffic load, and a signaling load can bedetermined. Communication links 108 and/or 110 can be organized intoresource elements, which can be assigned to physical channels andorganized in logical channels. For certain resource elements which arenot designated to carry bearer data, the assignment of resource elementsis relatively fixed and typically does not depend on bearer data traffic(as further described below, this does not apply to all non-bearerdata). Resource element assignments which are not used to carry bearerdata and which are relatively fixed can be considered static overhead,and a static overhead load can be determined for these resource elementsfor communication link 108 and/or 110.

In addition, a data traffic load can be determined for communicationlink 108 and/or 110. The data traffic load comprises resource elementassignments for bearer data, and can include voice data, data forapplications running on a wireless device, and the like. In certaincommunication protocols (such as, for example, GSM and LTE) data trafficin the downlink portion of a communication link is typically carried ina physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). Other protocols can comprisea functionally similar organization of bearer data.

Further, a signaling load can be determined for communication link 108and/or 110. The signaling load of a communication link comprisesnon-bearer data transmitted to perform a control function or to providenon-bearer data related information. The organization of bearer data andnon-bearer data can be relatively specific to a radio access technologyprotocol, but functional similarities can typically be found acrossvarious radio access technologies. Referring to FIG. 3A, as one example,in the PDSCH, two transport channels are carried, a paging channel (PCH)and a downlink shared channel (DL-SCH). The PCH comprises signaling datarelated to sending a paging message to wireless devices which haveentered a low power or idle mode, and carries signaling information ofthe paging control channel (PCCH). The DL-SCH comprises signaling datarelated to various signaling logical channels, including a broadcastcontrol channel (BCCH), a common control channel (CCCH), and a dedicatedcontrol channel (DCCH), as well as bearer data in a dedicated trafficchannel (DTCH).

The BCCH carries system information to wireless devices to provide, forexample, parameter information about access node 104. The PCCH carriespaging information for a paging operation to locate a wireless devicewhich has entered a low power or idle mode and to provide the wirelessdevice with information about, for example, an incoming call or message.The CCCH carries information which can be used by a wireless device torequest a new connection with access node 104. The DTCH carries bearerdata, such as voice data, or other data for an application running on awireless device. By taking into account the logical channel load of theBCCH, CCCH, DCCH and PCCH, a signaling load can be determined, forexample, for communication link 108 and/or 110.

Returning to FIG. 2, in operation 204, a wireless communication linkload is calculated based on the static overhead load, the data trafficload, and the signaling load. For example, referring to FIG. 3B, acommunication link load can be calculated based on a sum of thedetermined static overhead load, the data traffic load, and thesignaling load. In an embodiment, the communication link load can bedetermined separately for a downlink portion and/or for an uplinkportion of the communication link. In an embodiment, the communicationlink load comprises a number of resource elements (such as, for example,physical resource blocks) based on a sum of the determined staticoverhead load, data traffic load, and signaling load of thecommunication link. In addition, determining the communication link loadalso enables a determination of remaining communication link capacityunoccupied by the determined communication link load.

The signaling load can comprise, in an embodiment, a sum of componentsof the physical downlink shared channel load, comprising a pagingchannel component load and a downlink shared channel load component. Inan embodiment, the downlink shared channel load component can compriseat least one of a broadcast control channel load component, a commoncontrol channel load component, a dedicated control channel loadcomponent, and a paging control channel load component.

In an embodiment, a downlink load of a communication link can bedetermined as follows:DL load=total static overhead load+total data traffic load+totalsignaling load  [Equation 1]

In an embodiment, the signaling load on the PDSCH can be determined asfollows:Signaling load=total BCCH load (for SIB signaling)+total CCCH load+totalDCCH load+total PCCH load  [Equation 2]

Each load component can comprise a number of resource elements used tocarry signaling data per unit time, or per frame, or per subframe. Theresource elements can comprise physical resource blocks. In an example,the total BCCH load for SIB signaling and the total PCH load can bedetermined at the access node. In another example, the total load forthe CCCH, DCCH and DTCH for each wireless device can be determined basedon the resource elements assigned to each wireless device. In anembodiment, the total load for the CCCH, DCCH and DTCH for each wirelessdevice can be determined as follows:Signaling load₂=bits utilized per channel/total of (bits transmitted perchannel)  [Equation 3]

The channel of Equation 3 can comprise one or more of the CCCH, the DCCHand the DTCH. For example, where all three channels are considered,Equation 3 can be rewritten such that a sum of bits transmitted over theCCCH, DCCH and DTCH comprise the numerator, and a sum of the totalnumber of bits transmitted over the CCCH, DCCH and DTCH comprise thedenominator.

In an embodiment, the signaling loads used in Equation 1, Equation 2 andEquation 3 each comprise an average load value over a predetermined timeinterval to reduce short term load fluctuations. The time interval cancomprise a plurality of subframes, a plurality of frames, a discreteperiod of time, or another time interval.

Returning to FIG. 2, in operation 206, a load control process isperformed when the wireless communication link load meets a loadcriteria. For example, when the wireless communication link load meets athreshold level of resource utilization or communication linkcongestion, requests for a communication link to access node 104 fromnew wireless devices can be denied. In addition, when the wirelesscommunication link load meets a threshold level of resource utilizationor communication link congestion, wireless device 102 can be instructedto change from communicating over a first channel (such as communicationlink 108) to communicating over a second channel (such as communicationlink 110).

In an embodiment, while each of communication links 108 and 110 cancarry multiple logical and transport channels (for example, DCCH, CCCH,etc.), each communication link typically does not carry data intendedfor a different logical channel over same communication link. Thus, theload control process can be performed to instruct wireless device 102 tochange from communicating over a first channel (such as communicationlink 108) to communicating over a second channel (such as communicationlink 110).

In an embodiment, in addition to the load criteria of the wirelesscommunication link, a signaling load criteria can be determined. Whenthe signaling load of the communication link meets the signaling loadcriteria, a load control process can be performed. The load controlprocess can comprise, for example, refusal of communication resourcesfor new wireless devices, and instructing wireless device 102 to fromcommunicating over a first channel (e.g., communication link 108) tocommunicating over second channel (e.g., communication link 110). Inother words, a load control process can be triggered when the signalingload of the communication link meets the signaling load criteria.

In an embodiment, each of the static overhead load, the data trafficload, and the signaling load can be determined for a particular traffictype indicator of data traffic over the wireless communication link. Forexample, bearer data and related signaling messages can be associatedwith an indication, for example, of scheduling priority, routingpriority, minimum bandwidth allocation, and the like, includingcombinations thereof. Each of the static overhead load, the data trafficload, and the signaling load can be determined for a particular traffictype indicator of data traffic. As one example, certain data traffic canbe associated with a quality of service (QoS) class indicator (QCI),which can be used to differentiate priorities of service flows in acommunication link, or in a specific channel of a communication link,and which can be used to determine access node-specific parameters suchas link layer configuration, scheduling weights, and queue management.

In an embodiment, a QCI can comprise a guaranteed bit rate (GBR)indication and a non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR) indication. Otherexamples are also possible. When a communication link load and/or asignaling load for a communication link is determined for a particulartraffic type indicator, remaining communication link capacity for thetraffic type indicator can also be determined. By separately measuringand monitoring of various data and signaling loads, the load controlprocesses for an access node can be performed at a greater level ofspecificity, especially where a traffic type indicator is alsoconsidered in the wireless communication link load.

FIG. 4 illustrates another exemplary communication system to managewireless communication link resources comprising wireless device 402,access node 404, access node 406, and communication network 408.Examples of wireless device 402 can comprise a cell phone, a smartphone, a computing platform such as a laptop, palmtop, or tablet, apersonal digital assistant, or an internet access device, includingcombinations thereof. Wireless device 402 can communicate with accessnode 404 over communication link 410, and with access node 406 overcommunication link 412.

Access nodes 404 and 406 are each a network node capable of providingwireless communications to wireless device 402, and can be, for example,a base transceiver station, a radio base station, an eNodeB device, oran enhanced eNodeB device. Access node 404 is in communication withcommunication network 408 over communication link 414, and access node406 is in communication with communication network 408 overcommunication link 416.

Communication network 408 can be a wired and/or wireless communicationnetwork, and can comprise processing nodes, routers, gateways, andphysical and/or wireless data links for carrying data among variousnetwork elements, including combinations thereof, and can include alocal area network, a wide area network, and an internetwork (includingthe Internet). Communication network 408 can be capable of carryingvoice information, for example, to support voice communications by awireless device such as wireless device 402. Wireless network protocolsmay comprise code division multiple access (CDMA) 1×RTT, Global Systemfor Mobile communications (GSM), Universal Mobile TelecommunicationsSystem (UMTS), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Evolution Data Optimized(EV-DO), EV-DO rev. A, Third Generation Partnership Project Long TermEvolution (3GPP LTE), and Worldwide Interoperability for MicrowaveAccess (WiMAX). Wired network protocols that may be utilized bycommunication network 408 comprise Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, GigabitEthernet, Local Talk (such as Carrier Sense Multiple Access withCollision Avoidance), Token Ring, Fiber Distributed Data Interface(FDDI), and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). Communication network 408may also comprise a wireless network, including base stations, wirelesscommunication nodes, telephony switches, internet routers, networkgateways, computer systems, communication links, or some other type ofcommunication equipment, and combinations thereof.

Communication links 410, 412, 414 and 416 can be wired or wirelesscommunication links. Wired communication links can comprise, forexample, twisted pair cable, coaxial cable or fiber optic cable, orcombinations thereof. Wireless communication links can comprise a radiofrequency, microwave, infrared, or other similar signal, and can use asuitable communication protocol, for example, Global System for Mobiletelecommunications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA),Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), or Long TermEvolution (LTE), or combinations thereof. Other wireless protocols canalso be used.

FIG. 5 illustrates another exemplary method of managing wirelesscommunication link resources. In operation 502, a first communicationlink load is determined comprising a first signaling load of a firstwireless communication link between an access node and at least onewireless device. For example, as between wireless device 402 and accessnode 404, a signaling load for communication link 410 can be determined.In addition, a static overhead load and a data traffic load can also bedetermined. For example, communication link 410 can be organized intoresource elements, which can be assigned to physical channels andorganized in logical channels. For certain resource elements which arenot designated to carry bearer data, the assignment of resource elementsis relatively fixed and typically does not depend on bearer datatraffic. These certain resource element assignments which are not usedto carry bearer data and which are relatively fixed can be consideredstatic overhead, and a static overhead load can be determined for theseresource elements for communication link 410.

In addition, a data traffic load can be determined for communicationlink 410. The data traffic load comprises resource element assignmentsfor bearer data, and can include voice data, data for applicationsrunning on a wireless device, and the like. In certain communicationprotocols (such as, for example, GSM and LTE) data traffic in thedownlink portion of a communication link is typically carried in aphysical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). Other protocols can comprise afunctionally similar organization of bearer data. Further, a signalingload can be determined for communication link 410. The signaling load ofa communication link comprises non-bearer data transmitted to perform acontrol function. The organization of bearer data and non-bearer datacan be relatively specific to a radio access technology protocol, butfunctional similarities can typically be found across various radioaccess technologies.

In operation 504, the first communication link load is compared to asecond communication link load comprising a second signaling load of asecond wireless communication link when the first signaling load meets aload threshold. For example, a second communication link load can bedetermined for communication link 412 between access node 406 andwireless device 402. The signaling load can comprise, in an embodiment,a sum of components of the physical downlink shared channel load,comprising a paging channel component load and a downlink shared channelload component. In an embodiment, the downlink shared channel loadcomponent can comprise at least one of a broadcast control channel loadcomponent, a common control channel load component, a dedicated controlchannel load component, and a paging control channel load component. Inan embodiment, the first communication link load and the secondcommunication link load can be determined for different channels ofcommunication link 410 between access node 404 and wireless device 402.

In addition to the signaling load, a wireless communication link loadcan be determined for each of the first communication link and thesecond communication link. Each communication link load can becalculated based on the respective static overhead load, the datatraffic load, and the signaling load of each communication link. Forexample, a communication link load can be calculated based on a sum ofthe determined static overhead load, the data traffic load, and thesignaling load. In an embodiment, the communication link load can bedetermined separately for a downlink portion and/or for an uplinkportion of the communication link. In an embodiment, the communicationlink load comprises a number of resource elements (such as, for example,physical resource blocks) based on a sum of the determined staticoverhead load, data traffic load, and signaling load of thecommunication link. In addition, determining the communication link loadalso enables a determination of remaining communication link capacityunoccupied by the determined communication link load.

Each load component can comprise a number of resource elements used tocarry signaling data per unit time, or per frame, or per subframe. Theresource elements can comprise physical resource blocks. In an example,the total BCCH load and the total PCH load can be determined at theaccess node. In another example, the total load for the CCCH, DCCH andDTCH for each wireless device can be determined based on the resourceelements assigned to each wireless device. In an embodiment, the totalload for the CCCH, DCCH and DTCH for each wireless device can bedetermined based on the total bits utilized in the CCCH, DCCH and DTCH,respectively, per the total bits transmitted in the CCCH, DCCH and DTCH,respectively. Alternatively, or in addition, a total load comprising allthree of the CCCH, DCCH and DTCH components can also be determined. Thesignaling load can comprise an average load value over a predeterminedtime interval to reduce short term load fluctuations. The time intervalcan comprise a plurality of subframes, a plurality of frames, a discreteperiod of time, or another time interval.

In operation 506, the wireless device is instructed to communicate overthe second wireless communication link when the first communication linkload is greater than the second communication link load. For example,when the wireless communication link load meets a threshold level ofresource utilization or communication link congestion, wireless device402 can be instructed to change from communicating over communicationlink 410 to communicating over communication link 412.

In an embodiment, in addition to the first signaling load and the secondsignaling load, the first communication link load and the secondcommunication link load can comprise the respective static overheadload, the data traffic load, and the signaling load of eachcommunication link. In such case, the comparison of the firstcommunication link load and the second communication link load caninvolve a determination of the static overhead load, the data trafficload, and the signaling load of each communication link.

In an embodiment, the wireless communication link load signaling load ofthe downlink portion of the communication link can be used to improvetraffic management of the network. That is, the determination of thestatic overhead load, the data traffic load, and the signaling load of acommunication link can be made for the downlink portion (and/or theuplink portion) of the communication link. In an embodiment, thewireless communication link load signaling overhead on the PDSCHcomponent of cell load can be used to improve traffic management of thenetwork.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary processing node 600 in a communicationsystem. Processing node 600 comprises communication interface 602, userinterface 604, and processing system 606 in communication withcommunication interface 602 and user interface 604. Processing node 600is capable of detecting unauthorized tethering by a wireless device.Processing system 606 includes storage 608, which can comprise a diskdrive, flash drive, memory circuitry, or other memory device. Storage608 can store software 610 which is used in the operation of theprocessing node 600. Storage 608 may include a disk drive, flash drive,data storage circuitry, or some other memory apparatus. Software 610 mayinclude computer programs, firmware, or some other form ofmachine-readable instructions, including an operating system, utilities,drivers, network interfaces, applications, or some other type ofsoftware. Processing system 606 may include a microprocessor and othercircuitry to retrieve and execute software 610 from storage 608.Processing node 600 may further include other components such as a powermanagement unit, a control interface unit, etc., which are omitted forclarity. Communication interface 602 permits processing node 600 tocommunicate with other network elements. User interface 604 permits theconfiguration and control of the operation of processing node 600.

Examples of processing node 600 include access node 104, access node 404and access node 406. Processing node 600 can also be an adjunct orcomponent of a network element such as an element of access node 104,access node 404 and access node 406. Processing node 600 can also beanother network element in a communication system. Further, thefunctionality of processing node 600 can be distributed over two or morenetwork elements.

The exemplary systems and methods described herein can be performedunder the control of a processing system executing computer-readablecodes embodied on a computer-readable recording medium or communicationsignals transmitted through a transitory medium. The computer-readablerecording medium is any data storage device that can store data readableby a processing system, and includes both volatile and nonvolatilemedia, removable and non-removable media, and contemplates mediareadable by a database, a computer, and various other network devices.

Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include, but are notlimited to, read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), erasableelectrically programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory or other memorytechnology, holographic media or other optical disc storage, magneticstorage including magnetic tape and magnetic disk, and solid statestorage devices. The computer-readable recording medium can also bedistributed over network-coupled computer systems so that thecomputer-readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion.The communication signals transmitted through a transitory medium mayinclude, for example, modulated signals transmitted through wired orwireless transmission paths.

The above description and associated figures teach the best mode of theinvention. The following claims specify the scope of the invention. Notethat some aspects of the best mode may not fall within the scope of theinvention as specified by the claims. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that the features described above can be combined in variousways to form multiple variations of the invention. As a result, theinvention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above,but only by the following claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of managing wireless communication linkresources, comprising: determining a first communication link loadcomprising a first signaling load of a first wireless communication linkbetween an access node and at least one wireless device, the firstsignaling load comprising a plurality of transport channel loadcomponents of the first wireless communication link; comparing the firstcommunication link load to a second communication link load comprising asecond signaling load of a second wireless communication link when thefirst signaling load meets a load threshold, the second signaling loadcomprising a plurality of transport channel load components of thesecond wireless communication link; and instructing the wireless deviceto communicate over the second wireless communication link when thefirst communication link load is greater than the second communicationlink load wherein the plurality of transport channel load components ofthe first and second wireless communication links comprise a signalingload, paging channel load, and a downlink shared channel load.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the second wireless communication linkcomprises a wireless communication link between the at least onewireless device and a second access node.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the second wireless communication link comprises a secondwireless communication link between the at least one wireless device andthe access node.
 4. A system for managing wireless communication linkresources, comprising: a processing node configured to: determine afirst communication link load comprising a first signaling load of afirst wireless communication link between an access node and at leastone wireless device, wherein the first signaling load comprises aplurality of transport channel load components of the first wirelesscommunication link; compare the first communication link load to asecond communication link load comprising a second signaling load of asecond wireless communication link when the first signaling load meets aload threshold, wherein the second signaling load comprises a pluralityof transport channel load components of the second wirelesscommunication link; and instructing the wireless device to communicateover the second wireless communication link when the first communicationlink load is greater than the second communication link load wherein theplurality of transport channel load components of the first and secondwireless communication links comprise a signaling load, paging channelload, and a downlink shared channel load.
 5. The system of claim 4,wherein the second wireless communication link comprises a wirelesscommunication link between the at least one wireless device and a secondaccess node.
 6. The system of claim 4, wherein the second wirelesscommunication link comprises a second wireless communication linkbetween the at least one wireless device and the access node.